Broken Hearts
by Curly97
Summary: The story takes place during the first episodes of the second season. Meredith doesn't know how to deal with her feelings for Derek, after Addison has surfaced in Seattle. Who will Derek choose at the end? Will he fulfill the responsibilities of a husband, or will he listen to his heart?


Meredith's POV

I was sitting at home alone in my kitchen staring at one of the walls. I was so lost  
inside my own head I could no longer tell the color. I was alone. Izzie and George  
were both on-call at the hospital. I had the night off with Christina who was most  
likely at Burke's. I was alone with my thoughts. My thoughts and my tequila. It  
sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

Six months ago if someone had told me that I would have fallen madly in love with  
one of my bosses, I would have walked them up to Psych. Now, they would just be  
stating the obvious. The man who held my heart also held the job title of Head of  
Neurosurgery. I've never had a real relationship and the possibility of loving  
someone meant having one. That scared me. Most of my life my wing-man was a  
bottle of tequila. Once I was tanked-up courtesy of my wing-man, a one night stand  
was as close to a "relationship" as I ever got. Isn't it funny how you could meet the  
love of your life doing something you have done with tons of men. This was always  
the better way of life for me. I'd convinced myself of that in med school when spare  
time was a thing of fiction. The one thing in my life that was no longer a thing of  
fiction was love and I was in love with Derek Shepherd.

Our start was not the thing of fairytales, but whose was?

I loved him so much I was ready to let him be a part of my life. I let him in more so  
than I have with anyone else. I even told him about my oh-so-fantastic mother,  
Ellis Grey. She has Alzheimer's, but nobody knows except myself and now Derek.

My thoughts took a slightly pessimistic turn when reality decided to saunter bac,  
into my thoughts. My feelings towards Derek turned bitter when I believed that I  
could trust him because I loved – scratch that, love him. I should have known  
better though. Derek Shepherd doesn't love me. If he really loved me, then why  
would he lie to me and hide the fact that he is married? It's not even like it's that  
simple. His wife, Addison, is drop-dead gorgeous. Not only that, but she is also one  
of the best neonatal surgeons in the whole country. They were like tag-team  
amazing surgeons. They could have amazing surgeon babies.

Forgetting that, all of that because of how I love Derek. Would I be enough? Would  
I be the girl that he needed?

The shrill sound of my phone ringing suddenly pulled me from my thoughts and I  
finally noticed the tears that were flowing down my cheeks. I used my hand to wipe  
them away. The second my eyes flitted to the screen they were glued on the name  
of the Sender.

Derek.

I've been trying to both ignore and avoid him and his wife. However, It's hard when  
I see both him and his wife all of the time. We all worked in the same Hospital.  
There is only so much avoiding one can do. I was supposed to hate and avoid the  
two at all costs.

I read and re-read the message from Derek to make sure that I committed it to  
Memory.

'Meredith, I know that you're mad. I know you don't want to talk to me but please  
let me explain. George told me that you're not on call tonight. Addison is staying in  
a hotel and I'm still in the trailer. Please give me the chance to talk to you. Come  
over.'

I couldn't help but wonder what he wanted to tell me. Maybe that Addison cheated  
on him with his best friend? I already knew that. After that, Derek came to Seattle.  
He then fell in love with me, wanted to divorce Addison, and then changed his  
mind. He couldn't give up on his marriage so easily. I knew that and I cared. Didn't  
I? I didn't want Derek to be known as the guy who left his wife for some girl he met  
in a bar. Did I? I didn't want to be known as the "dirty mistress". Did i?

There were so many questions swimming around in my head that for a Moment I  
forgot about Derek's Invitation.

If he wanted to tell me his story, one that I already knew then I didn't want to hear  
a single bit of it.

But, there was the possibility…

No! I had to stop that chain of thoughts immediately unless I wanted to go down  
that road.

Unless, he changed his mind and wanted to be with me.

There. I said it. I gave myself a sliver of hope. Would I come to regret that later? I  
hope not.

No. I can't do that. I can't give myself hope. I refused to believe that he would  
choose me. I wanted love to mean something to him. I wanted loyalty to mean  
something.

I had to find resolve. I decided that I would go to the trailer. I would listen to what  
he had to say. I owed him that didn't I? Nothing extremely bad could happen.  
Right?

Derek's POV

It's been a long two hours since I sent Meredith the text.

Doubt started creeping in. What if she didn't come? I needed her to hear what I had  
to say. I needed her to hear my decision. I needed her to accept it. I didn't want to  
hurt her but she needs to know. The sooner the better.

If she didn't come, I wouldn't blame her. I hurt her so badly that I shouldn't even  
expect a text back.

I reclined a bit in my chair, the squeaking of the metal complaining about the  
weight. I took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air. I had to reconcile myself  
into doing this.

I know that I should have told Meredith from the get-go. I should have told her that  
I had, well have, a wife. Meredith is a special woman, she deserves a lot; a lot  
better than me. I had to tell her, no matter how much it hurt her. This is something  
unavoidable, it has to be done. However, I have no idea on how to start the  
conversation.

Just when I wanted to go into the trailer, I saw the flash of the headlights from her  
Jeep.

Meredith parked her car next to mine. When her door opened and her feet hit the  
ground I knew the time where I finally had to do what is right for my marriage was  
here - I have to break Meredith's heart.

She walked around the hood of her car, the distance spanning between us seemed  
longer than the silence that followed. When she finally reached the porch where I  
was sitting, I finally looked at Meredith, really looked at Meredith. What I found  
terrified me; it broke off a piece of my resolve.

Her green eyes that were always bright and full of life had lost their glimmer. Her  
movements betrayed her exhaustion as did her eyes. The black bags underneath  
demonstrated her sleepless nights.

"Hi" she greeted. Her naturally soft, gentle voice was still there but I detected the  
undertones; undertones of sadness and despair.

I felt so bad about what must be done. I still had no idea on how to start this  
conversation.

"Hello. Sit with me?" I asked. I slid a chair across from me. I felt that the more  
distance I put between us the easier it would be to get the words out.

Meredith made no attempt to move, so I reached forward and grasped her small,  
soft hand in mine. It was warm and I didn't want to let it go. I didn't want to let her  
go.

I guided her over to the other chair and she finally sat down. The second she did,  
she pulled her hand from mine, leaving me with even less of an idea on how to  
begin this conversation. There was only one word that I could think of

"Sorry."

"Why are you sorry, Derek? Sorry that you lied to me?" Meredith asked, defeated. I  
couldn't recall ever seeing her sadder than she was in this Moment.

I sighed softly and ran my hands through my hair. "I didn't know how I…I know I  
should have told you, but-"

"You had two months! Two. Freaking. Months!" Meredith abruptly yelled, cutting me  
off. She was mad and she had every right to be. "During those months, there were  
plenty of chances to tell me! What do you want to tell me that I don't already  
know?" Meredith calmed down and asked in a hopeful tone.

I looked up at her for a few seconds before I knew what I needed to say. I know  
that these words would break her heart.

"Addison and I will be leaving for New York. Please don't try to contact or find me.  
You have to forget me and everything that we had."

With those words my own heart broke.

A/N: I've decided to edit the first chapters of Broken Hearts.  
Please review and tell me what you think:)  
Oh, and remember that this is a MerDer Story - it won't be an easy ride, though;)


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